February 15, 2011

As I’ve done for more than 11 weeks, I will be updating news and views on all things WikiLeaks all day, with new items added at the top. All times are ET in USA. You can contact me at epic1934@aol.com, Read about or order my new book, The Age of WikiLeaks, just updated, in print or as e-book.

9:45 Alan Dershowitz, recently added to Assange defense team, on Parker Spitzer tonite. He says Alexandria grand jury in "preliminary" stages. So "we need to be proactive" and vigilant. Calls himself "an adviser to the British legal team, working on American aspects of the law, particularly the First and Fourth amendments." Spitzer asks: Assange no different from NYT? Dershowitz: "That’s certainly the theory we are working under." Points out U.S. encouraging new media abroad while "chilling" in this case, a "double standard" applied. Fun: Alan refers to people who "twit."

8:45 I don’t know credibility of poll, but this is interesting: survey in 17 countries finds vast majority of Arabs hail WikiLeaks (in contrast to, say, views of most Americans) and even more want them to release more info on Arab countries. Six in 10 say WikiLeaks played role in Tunisia revolt, which sparked so much else, and other demos. "More than 60 percent believe that Wikileaks will change the way governments behave. 55 percent of Arabs revealed in the poll that they believe little to nothing of what their governments tell them."

8:40 In answer to many requests, you can now order my new and updated The Age of WikiLeaks book as e-book (also for phones, web reading etc.) for only $4.99. And print version at just $11.99 still here. Hailed by Dan Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald and others.

8:30 @scottleadinghamtweets: "Yes, Sue Sylvester just made a #Wikileaks joke on #Glee." Of course, I need to ask, who is Sue Sylvester? Jane Lynch? UPDATE: I’m now told it was, “Will – you have more grease in your hair than the guy behind WikiLeaks!”

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4:25 Rep. Peter King with another attempt at making prosecution of Assange easier in U.S., introduces new bill today. The bill would clarify U.S. law by saying that it is an act of espionage to publish the protected names of American intelligence sources who collaborate with the U.S military or intelligence community. "Julian Assange and his associates who have operated and supported WikiLeaks not only damaged U.S. national security with their releases of classified documents, but also placed at risk countless lives, including those of our nation’s intelligence sources around the world," King said in a statement. And now OpenLeaks is "dedicated to the same dangerous conduct," King added. "These organizations are a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States. Julian Assange and his compatriots are enemies of the U.S and should be prosecuted …"

3:05Transcript of Glenn Greenwald on Dylan Ratigan’s radio show talking anti-WikiLeaks campaign, himself as target–and how he will respond.

2:55 Salon’s Justin Elliot on the giant law firm at the center of anti-WikiLeaks "plot."

2:10 Largely overlooked in Clinton speech was this small bit near end: "There were reports in the days following theleak that the U.S. government intervened to coerce private companies to denyservice to Wikileaks. This is not the case. Some politicians and pundits publiclycalled for companies to dissociate from Wikileaks, while others criticized them fordoing so. Public officials are part of our country’s public debates, but there is a linebetween expressing views and coercing conduct. But any business decisions that private companies may have taken to enforce their own policies regarding Wikileaks was not at the direction or the suggestion of the Obama Administration."

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1:55 Need I say more to get you hooked? The Tea Party, UFOs and Assange.

1:50 If you’re a media person or blogger who good-sized audience likely to cover or review my new WikiLeaks book, drop me a line at email above and I might just gift you an e-book version.

1:40 Micah Sifry on Hillary Clinton’s big Internet speech: "Straw man argument: US can’t protect its citizens security if it has to make public ALL of its documents." Full report on speech.

12:50 This is great: Activists, researchers, setting up "Iraq Leaks" to expose corruption there as street protests grow. Use as example U.S. donating computers–then sold on black market. People there spreading word via Facebook.

12:20 U.S. vs. Twitter hearing over. (AP) Government lawyers defended their tactics in front of a judge regarding a criminal investigation of leaks of secret documents by the WikiLeaks website. Lawyers for three people associated with WikiLeaks on Tuesday asked a judge to rescind an earlier order that demanded information about their Twitter accounts. The judge heard arguments and said she will issue a written order shortly." UPDATE and details here.

11:45 Turns out Alan Dershowitz’s involvement with Assange defense much greater than many thought (and he will be on Parker Spitzer tonight) . In new CNN interview he says he has talked to Assange "extensively" and emailed. He will concentrate on "First and Fourth" amendment issues, strong defense of freedom of the press, and hopes to meet Assange in UK: "He seems like a very multi-dimensional person. I look forward to getting to know him better and forming a judgment based on personal observations. But these are the cutting edge issues of 21st century communication."

10:15 Good and much-needed review by Kevin Gosztola at WL Central on what the cables have shown about Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and elsewhere in the region. And a Part II tomorrow.

10:00Jake Tapper of ABC on the big U.S. vs. Twitter case in Virginia today (see more below). Stay tuned.

9:50 Andy Greenberg of Forbes with his update on the HBGary scandal (see much more below).

8:50 Since this blog began we’ve often admitted a wish that WikiLeaks had been around to expose the lies of the U.S. claims of WMD in run-up to Iraq war. We’ve also hit NYT ed Bill Keller for slamming Assange when he defended Judy Miller for so long. Now it all comes together as The Guardianreports on the favorite faux source for Miller, Colin Powell, Rumsfeld and others–the infamous "Curveball"–finally clearly admitting that he made his WMD and "mobile lab" claims up completely.

8:15The Guardian with update on latest backlash over those cables suggesting Saudis have lied about their oil reserves.

8:00 Glenn Greenwald with major update on the the exploding case of HBGary and others going after him, WikiLeaks, and others, and now Anonymous exposing tens of thousands of emails, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and so on. Palantir "have decided to place Matthew Steckman, 26 year old engineer, on leave pending a thorough review of his actions." And much more.

7:50 Big hearing this morning in the U.S. vs. Twitter case in Alexandria and as we noted yesterday, Alan Dershowitz has joined "Team Assange." And Politico notes contradiction of Hillary Clinton speaking on internet freedom today while just a few miles away U.S. in court attacking same.

7:40 In answer to many requests, you can now order my new and updated The Age of WikiLeaks book not only in print but for Kindle, iPad, Blackberry, Android, web viewing, for only $4.99. And print version still here. Hailed by Dan Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald and others.

12:05 @Kaepora imagines excerpt from Hillary Clinton’s speech on internet freedom: "We believe everyone should have the right to share freely on the Internet. Except Bradley Manning."

The HBGary / Anonymous / U.S. Chamber of Commerce "dirty tricks" scandal has now made the Wash Post in big story by Dan Eggen. Opens: "A feud between a security contracting firm and a group of guerrilla computer hackers has spilled over onto K Street, as stolen e-mails reveal plans for a dirty-tricks-style campaign against critics of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce….The e-mails revealed, among other things, a series of often-dubious counterintelligence proposals aimed at enemies of Bank of America and the chamber. The proposals included distributing fake documents and launching cyber-attacks."

HBGary has posted response to the Anonymous email hacking (see below), threatening law enforcement action — and announcing they had pulled their booths and canceled all talks at RSA conference due to alleged "threats." More: "In addition to the data theft, HBGary individuals have received numerous threats of violence including threats at our tradeshow booth….In an effort to protect our employees, customers and the RSA Conference community, HBGary has decided to remove our booth and cancel all talks. HBGary is continuing to work intensely with law enforcement on this matter and hopes to bring those responsible to justice."

Greg MitchellTwitter Greg Mitchell writes a daily blog for The Nation focusing on media, politics and culture. He is the former editor of Editor & Publisher and author of thirteen books. His latest book, on the 2012 Obama-Romney race, is Tricks, Lies, and Videotape. His other books include Atomic Cover-Up, The Campaign of the Century (winner of the Goldsmith Book Prize), two books related to WikiLeaks and a pair of books with Robert Jay Lifton on Hiroshima and the death penalty in America. His Twitter feed is @GregMitch and he can be reached at: epic1934@aol.com. His personal blog is Pressing Issues.